Stroll Through the Sculpture Garden in Philly

The Philadelphia Museum of Art’s one-acre, terraced Sculpture Garden, The Anne d’Harnoncourt Sculpture Garden, presents a superb and versatile outdoor setting for the appreciation of art, offering a lively experience of sculpture for both the casual passerby and devoted art lovers. Gracefully integrated into the existing landscape, the Sculpture Garden extends the Museum’s vast galleries to the outdoors while strengthening its connections to the city and Fairmount Park.

Sculptural in its form and design, the Garden is divided into five sections: the Upper Terrace, the Lower Terrace, two graveled galleries and a paved plaza. As the landscapes of the Sculpture Garden change with the seasons, so will its artistic offerings. The Anne d’Harnoncourt Sculpture Garden’s most recent installations include a remarkable work made of weathering steel by Ellsworth Kelly entitled Curve I, from 1973, and Lips from 2012 by Austrian artist Franz West—a towering large-scale sculpture in three parts conceived specifically for the site.

Originating from the image of a flattened paper cup, Ellsworth Kelly’s Curve I, from 1973, is a remarkable work made of weathering steel. Curve I is one of the first outdoor sculptures Kelly realized after moving to the New York countryside in the 1970’s, marking a pivotal moment in the artist’s practice. Appearing to hover gently above the ground, it is also one of the few sculptures Kelly created to be displayed horizontally.

Conceived specifically for the site by Austrian artist Franz West, Lips, from 2012, is a large-scale sculpture in three parts, towering 30 feet above the Garden landscape. As the artist’s last site-specific commission prior to his untimely passing, Lips stands as an extraordinary testament to West’s influential work. Colorful, abstract, and monumental, West’s biomorphic structures transpose a vibrant palette of green, blue and pink onto the surrounding urban skyline and transform the Garden setting into a space for enjoyment and contemplation.

Split Images of New Exhibit:

Left: Lips, 2012. Franz West (Austrian, 1947-2012). Aluminum, epoxy resin. Franz West, Courtesy of Gagosian Gallery

Right: Curve I, 1973. Ellsworth Kelly (American, b. 1923). Weathering steel, 1 x 144 x 118 ¼ inches (2.5 x 365.8 x 300.4 cm).
Private collection © Ellsworth Kelly

Source: Philadelphia Museum of Art